HC issues notices to startups, CCI on Google billing policy

HC issues notices to startups, CCI on Google billing policy. A single judge order directed CCI to decide the applications moved by ADIF against tech giant’s in-app user choice billing policy before 26 April

The Delhi high court on Wednesday issued notice on the appeal filed by Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc against a single judge order directing the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to decide the applications moved by an alliance of start-ups against tech giant’s new in-app user choice billing policy on or before 26 April.

A bench of chief justice Satish Chandra Sharma and justice Subramonium Prasad sought the response of the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) and posted the matter for hearing on 19 July.

On Tuesday, the court had refused urgent hearing to the tech giant in the matter after its counsel had told the court that the CCI cannot hear the matter due to the lack of quorum.

On Monday, single judge bench of Tushar Rao Gedela, had directed CCI to decide the applications against the new policy, while saying that proceedings before CCI would not be vitiated due to vacancy or any defect in its constitution.